Buds & Blossoms: Flower of Life
by Higuchimon
Summary: Hikari's life hangs in the balance and Mimi rushes to find the antidote, which grows in a territory ruled by the Queen of the Flowers. And Rosemon is not one to hand over her possessions lightly. [complete]
1. Chapter 1

**Story Title:** Flower of Life  
 **Characters:** Mimi, Hikari| **Pairing:** Mimi x Hikari/Hikari x Mimi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 1,052||story: 1,052|| **chapters:** 1/5  
 **Genre:** Drama, Romance|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, H21, K rated fic; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #4, 5,306 words; Pairing Diversity Boot Camp, #11, emotional; 28 Days of Love, #6, any pairing; What-if: What if Mimi's partner achieved Ultimate?; Digimon Femslash Week, day #1, flowers  
 **Notes:** This is 98% canon with the aversion being that the 25 years later epilogue and Tri don't happen. It's a few years after the defeat of BelialVamdemon as well.  
 **Summary:** Hikari's life hangs in the balance and Mimi rushes to find the antidote, which grows in a territory ruled by the Queen of the Flowers. And Rosemon is not one to hand over her possessions lightly.

* * *

No one said anything. There wasn't much that could be said. Koushirou's fingers clacked against the keys of his laptop as he searched through the last few years of painstakingly gathered information. Mimi looked from him to where Hikari lay stretched out underneath the branches of a tree, pale as a ghost and her breath shallow and too slow for Mimi's liking.

Jou hovered on her other side; he hadn't been a full-fledged doctor all that long, and he still treated Digimon more than he did humans, but most of them figured that gave him an edge here.

After all, it was a Digital World plant that was causing all the problems at the moment.

Mimi slipped down a little further and wrapped her fingers around Hikari's cold hand, wishing she could do something more to help.

 _If I could just get her a little warmer._ Maybe that would help. It couldn't hurt, could it?

She wriggled out of her jacket and spread it over Hikari. It was really too warm for a jacket today, but she'd thought it looked good on her and Mimi wasn't one to pass up something that looked good on her.

"All right." Koushirou's voice broke the silence and all of their heads swiveled to look at him. "I've analyzed what we could get of those thorns and it seems there _is_ an antidote. Or one can be devised, at least."

"What is it?" The question came from virtually everyone there except Hikari herself. Which was, of course, the problem in the first place.

Koushirou turned his laptop around so they could all see the picture there. It was a lovely plant, with deep blue leaves and blossoms of shimmering silver. In shape it resembled a tulip, but other than that, it wasn't anything like Mimi had ever seen before.

"I haven't been able to find the plant's proper name, but all of my research and information indicates that with one of these, I could create the antidote. But we need to hurry. The thorn's poison is very powerful."

"Yeah, I think we saw that," Taichi said, staring down at his sister as if he were personally responsible for the whole situation.

He wasn't. If anyone was, Mimi would gladly take that blame herself. She'd been so proud of knowing so much about the Digital World, only to find out that she didn't know nearly as much as she thought she did.

She certainly didn't recognize this answer to the thorn's poison.

"We have perhaps three hours before there won't be anything that we can do," Koushirou said, glancing at Jou. "We might be able to get a little more time if we're lucky, but I'd rather not chance it."

"What do you mean, nothing that we can do?" Daisuke wanted to know, his grip on Ken's hand tight enough to turn both their hands white. "You don't mean she's going to..."

"I mean that she may very well die if we don't get that antidote." Koushirou bit his words off flatly, his fingers moving over the keys once again. "The flower that we need grows here." Again he showed them, this time a map, with a small point glowing on it. All of them bent a bit closer. It was Ken who spoke first now.

"That's in Rosemon's territory," he said. "She's one of the most powerful Digimon that I've ever heard of, almost on a par with ImperialDramon or WarGreymon." He considered for a heartbeat or two. "I don't know much else about her, though. She keeps to herself. I never…" He shook his head. "I didn't want to risk taking her on then."

Exactly how much he truly recalled about his days as the Kaiser seemed to ebb and flow at times. None of them wanted to probe too deeply about it.

Mimi pulled herself to her feet and looked at Palmon, who nodded a bit. Whether she understood exactly what Mimi wanted or not didn't quite matter. What mattered was getting what Hikari needed.

"How far away is it?"

Taichi and Daisuke stared at her. She didn't wait for them to say anything, but kept her attention on Koushirou.

"I'm inputting the map into your D-Terminal now," the redhead said. "Along with a counter. Please remember that this isn't like the movies. You could get here later than I've estimated and she'll be all right. You could get back here sooner and she might not be. Everything I've done is just an estimate."

Mimi let herself smile, just a little. "I'll be back as fast as I can." She wasn't going to just let Hikari slip away without at least trying to make up for what she'd done. Sure, it hadn't been on purpose. But Mimi didn't care at all about that.

In a matter of heartbeats, Palmon evolved up to Lilymon. In the years since the defeat of BelialVamdemon, evolving to their higher levels became somewhat easier. Not _effortless_ , but when the need came, they could usually manage something.

Palmon would probably need a couple of amazing meals after this, as well as a lot of rest. Mimi would make sure she got it.

"Ready, Mimi?" Lilymon asked, holding her arms out. Mimi had dealt with a growth spurt and her partner carrying her wasn't as easy as it had been when she'd been ten years old, but they would manage.

For Hikari's sake, they would manage.

Lilymon's arms supported her now as she leaped into the air, finding the currents, and Mimi managed to check the map enough to point her in the way they needed to go. The sooner that they got back, the better.

* * *

All remained silent as the two of them hurried out of sight. Sora and Miyako watched them until they could see no more, then looked at each other. The side of Miyako's mouth quirked up. Sora nodded, little more than a hint of movement.

Some things were just too obvious to the Chosen of Love. Most of the time this would've been something they would've celebrated, quietly or not – Miyako didn't do most things quietly. But with Hikari's life hanging in the balance, all they could do was hope that Mimi would make it back in time, and that time wouldn't run out too soon.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** So, a little piece for Digimon Femslash Week. The others I plan to write will probably be chaptered as well. Because I really need more multi-chaps, don't I? ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Word Count:** chapter: 1,060||story: 2,112|| **chapters:** 2/5

* * *

The Digital World didn't have kingdoms as such. What it had were general areas where the most powerful Digimon more or less ran things. Sometimes it wasn't the most highly evolved Digimon, but whoever it was that was the best at running matters.

But Rosemon was one of the most highly evolved Digimon in the Digital World itself at the time, and Mimi tingled all over at the thought of meeting her.

Or she would have, if her every thought wasn't taken up with how to persuade the Flower Queen to let her have that flower.

"Have you ever met her before?" she asked Lilymon, tilting her head up. They were both plant Digimon, so it wouldn't have surprised her.

Lilymon shook her head. "I've heard of her, though. She's supposed to have started off like I did, as a Tanemon. But that was a long time ago. No one knows how old she is."

Maybe that would make her easier to persuade. Mimi held tight onto that. Surely someone with that much experience would know how important it was to save someone's life?

Getting into Rosemon's territory didn't take nearly as long as Mimi feared it would. Her fingers remained tight around Lilymon's arms and she refused to look at the countdown. It moved far too fast for her taste. She just had to get this done, that was all.

"And who are you that enters my lands?"

Mimi knew wonderful voices. She wasn't as into music as Yamato was by any means, but she knew a lovely voice when she heard one. Rosemon's voice put all the ones she'd ever heard in her life to shame.

Lilymon spun until she saw the other Digimon, who hovered not that far away. Exactly how she'd come on them without Mimi seeing her, Mimi wasn't certain. But there she was, a tall being with a flow of golden blonde hair, most of her face consisting of blood-red petals, and a hint of a smile that enticed and warned at the same time. By one hip there hung a thorned rapier, and by the other a coiled whip.

Mimi tried to gather her voice, focusing on the fact Hikari needed her.

"I'm Tachikawa Mimi. I need to ask a favor of you." She kept a grip on Lilymon, trying to ground herself, not wanting to be distracted.

"Of course you do." Rosemon's mouth quirked. "That's why everyone comes here, to ask something of me. What will it be for you? What do you want?" She paused, a deliberate and measured deed. "And what are you willing to give me for it?"

"Give?"

Rosemon waved one hand. "Nothing in any world is free. You must know that." She tilted her head toward Mimi and Mimi had the sudden feeling that she hadn't needed to introduce herself at all. Rosemon knew who she was. "Speak, then."

Mimi gathered herself again. Rosemon _amazed_ her; she'd never seen a creature so blindingly beautiful in her entire life. She couldn't let herself lose track of what was going on, no matter how easy it was to do so.

"My friend, Yagami Hikari, is very sick. She was poisoned by thorns." She wished she'd asked what kind of thorns those _were_. It might be useful now. "Our other friend Koushirou figured out that we need a special flower to save her."

She scrambled for her D-Terminal and pulled up the information. "The Lifeblossom, that's what we need."

Again Rosemon's mouth quirked but downward this time. "The Lifeblossom. The greatest treasure of my garden. A flower that can take up to twenty years to bloom and possibly more: _usually_ more. Twenty years is the _least_ amount of time that's passed between bloomings."

Mimi could feel the blood draining from her. Clearly Koushirou didn't know everything about this plant.

"Has it bloomed? Is it going to soon?" In the back of her mind, terror screeched. She ignored it. She could panic another time. Hikari wouldn't be served by her going into hysterics now.

"It bloomed this morning," Rosemon said, examining her nails for a few moments. "It will last for seven days and seven nights before the petals fall and it remains in stasis until next time." Now she turned her head toward Mimi. "You have not yet said what you would give me for the Lifeblossom. What can you provide that would be _worth_ this gift?"

Again her lips moved and yet this time, Mimi wouldn't have been willing to say that it was a smile. " _Can_ you provide anything that would be worth it to me?"

Mimi's shoulders tightened up. She hadn't honestly expected anything like this at all. She didn't even consider one of her credit cards or any cash. Money from Earth wasn't always valuable here, and she wasn't wearing any proper jewelry.

"What do you like?" Lilymon asked, still keeping Mimi firm in her grip. "How are we going to know what to offer you if we don't know what you like?"

Rosemon chuckled at that. "I should've guessed that you would know that much, at least. You and I are much alike." She regarded Lilymon carefully. "Yes, I was once like you. Perhaps one day you'll be like me."

For a few moments, Mimi let herself be distracted by the thought of Lilymon evolving to such an amazing beauty. Then she pulled her thoughts back to the Rosemon who stood before her now.

"She's right. So what is it that you like?" She didn't want to have to go on some _other_ quest just to find a gift for Rosemon. Time did not work in her favor today.

Rosemon tapped a finger on the side of her face. "Flowers, of course. That which is rare and held precious because it is beautiful, not because it is rare. There are certain gemstones which I find lovely but I think those would not do very well in this case."

She shifted in the air, little more than the faintest of movements, and the breeze caused by this sent a waft of the most tantalizing perfume ever toward Mimi, sending her thoughts spinning against her will.

"Can you offer me anything from that?" Rosemon asked, regarding Mimi and Lilymon both. "I suspect that you should make your mind up quickly. Time is of the essence, isn't it?"

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Mimi better make an offer soon. But what could the right offer be?


	3. Chapter 3

**Word Count:** chapter: 1,093||story: 3,206|| **chapters:** 3/5

* * *

Mimi's thoughts tumbled and crashed over one another. She didn't have time for this. Hikari was _dying_ and Rosemon wanted to ask for a price! She started to shake her head.

"There's nothing I could give you that would mean nearly as much as Hikari's life does. There's nothing _anyone_ could give you that would be worth that much!" Her fingers clenched into her palms tighter and tighter.

Rosemon tilted her head. "And why is that? What is so special about her that her life is so precious to you?" She raised a finger before Mimi could keep talking. "Don't say that all life is precious. I have seen many humans whose lives aren't worth a grain of sand or a drop of water. But most of all, what makes her life so precious to _you_ that it outstrips all the value of the world?"

 _She's my friend!_ That was the first thing that Mimi considered. But the words never made it to her lips. Nor did the truth that came after that: _I love her._

She did care a lot of Hikari. She wanted to ask her out, to see if she'd be willing to give a relationship a trip. She wasn't even certain if Hikari _wanted_ to date women at all. The subject just hadn't come up, and Hikari hadn't even had a romantic date.

She did know that. Sora kept her informed. Sora knew very well what was on Mimi's mind. Sometimes she thought Miyako did too, at least from the way Miyako watched her whenever they were all together.

Then another thought came and this one she spoke.

"Because of what could happen and what did happen. Because I made a mistake and Hikari shouldn't have to suffer and die because of my mistake. Because I like her and I want to see if she likes me. Because even if she doesn't, I want her to be happy, and she can't be happy if she's _dead_."

Rosemon smiled. "Are you certain of that? Have you ever been dead? Do you know what lies beyond it for humans?"

Mimi could feel Lilymon's arms holding her firm and strong. There was also an odd sort of tremble there as well. She glanced to be sure her partner was all right, and Lilymon smiled back at her, nodding in encouragement.

Then she looked back at Rosemon. "Maybe she might be. But I know that _I_ wouldn't be and I'm not the only one. There are so many people who would have a huge hole in their lives without her, and I'm one of them. That's not something that I want. I don't want to put anyone through that. Not now, and not ever."

Rosemon tapped her finger. "Well, those are very nice words, and I'm sure that you feel them very deeply."

Mimi hadn't felt anything this deeply in her entire life, not that she could remember. She was the Child of Purity, of being true to herself no matter what, and now she raised her head up high.

"Of course I do. Because they're _true_." She could feel tears pricking at her eyes and let them fall. What did a few tears matter, when it came to Hikari's life? If they would help, she would cry for the rest of her life.

One of them fell onto Lilymon's arm where it supported Mimi. A heartbeat later, Lilymon cried out, a sound of surprise and confusion, and started to drop downward, Mimi still in her arms.

"Lilymon? What's wrong?" Mimi's voice broke off before she could say anything beyond that. A rich pale rose aura wrapped around Lilymon, who'd also begun to spin.

 _She's evolving!_ The idea of evolution wasn't a new one, not for them, but none of them had evolved like _this_ before.

Another set of arms wrapped around Mimi and pulled her to safety. As much as Lilymon would've wanted to, she couldn't keep hold of Mimi while this was going on.

Rosemon pulled back, Mimi gripping onto her, and the two of them watched in stunned silence.

She was almost entirely the mirror image of the Rosemon who stood there before her, at least in general shape. But where the rose that formed the first Rosemon's head shone bright red, Mimi's partner's petals now gleamed pale as the moon, just as her outfit was, but with highlights of orange on the edges. It wasn't a sight Mimi had ever seen before, and she loved it right away.

"Bright Rosemon!" The new Rosemon declared as she finished, looking at herself. "That's who I am. Bright Rosemon!"

Mimi's eyes lit up with joy, her concern over Hikari moving back just a half pace. There wasn't much else that could've distracted her right now anyway.

"You're beautiful!" She could hardly wait for Hikari to see her partner now. If it were possible…

She twisted around to look up at Rosemon. "Is it good enough for you yet?"

Rosemon eyed Bright Rosemon, her expression distant, and Mimi could feel her heart sinking. Then the other nodded.

"You speak the utter truth. Your words and the emotions bound to them were strong enough and true enough to evolve your partner. What more could I ask for?"

Mimi suspected not asking for anything at all would've been just fine, but she wasn't going to say it out loud, not right now, anyway.

Rosemon raised up one hand and held it palm outward. From over the horizon there came a small item, zooming through the air until it landed in her palm. She turned it toward Mimi.

"This is the Lifeblossom. It alone can cure your friend."

"Thank you!" Mimi could not have said that enough times if the world itself depended on it. She reached for it, gathering it close to her heart. She'd never seen a flower quite so fair before – unless it was Bright Rosemon.

Now Rosemon touched her shoulder. "Come and visit me when she is well again: both of you. I would meet this person whose light is so strong."

"You got it!" Mimi declared, wiping her eyes, and trying hard to get herself under control. "We have to go now..."

"I know." Rosemon turned toward Bright Rosemon. "I would like to see you again as well, sister. I feel we could learn much from one another."

Bright Rosemon grinned at her. "I'll see you soon!"

She gathered Mimi back into her arms, made certain that she and the flower were both safe, and sailed back the way they'd come.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Honestly, I changed what Mimi's Rosemon looked like just so they wouldn't be identical. And roses come in more colors than red, after all! The slightly altered name is also just so they're not perfect mirror images.


	4. Chapter 4

**Word Count:** chapter: 1,054||story: 4,260|| **chapters:** 4/5

* * *

Bright Rosemon flew at least twice as fast as Lilymon did. Mimi held onto the Lifeblossom, keeping it close to her so she wouldn't drop it. She tried not to pant, tried to keep herself calm, when every moment brought her that much closer to finding out what – if anything – happened to Hikari while she was gone. She didn't want _anything_ to have happened, at least not anything bad.

She wanted a chance to talk to Hikari. Everything she'd told Rosemon rang true still. Emotions had crept up on her without warning and now that she knew them, to whatever extent, she wanted to make certain they at least had a chance to try them out. It wouldn't harm anything to ask. It could harm everything to just let the chance slip away.

Mimi didn't like chances slipping away.

"There!" Bright Rosemon gestured and Mimi could see the tiny forms gathered around one more as they flew closer. She hugged the Lifeblossom even closer.

"Mimi!" Sora waved to her as soon as they were close enough to understand who was there. Then she blinked. "Rosemon? IS that..."

"This is _Bright_ Rosemon," Mimi corrected her with a smile of pride. "She was Lilymon."

Noises of pride and encouragement rose up from the others as the two of them settled down and Mimi held the Lifeblossom out to Koushirou.

"Here it is. It's not … not too late, is it?" Mimi hated the stutter in her question. She almost didn't want to know the answer. As long as she didn't know, then there was hope that it could be a good answer.

Jou answered, though. "She's still alive. I don't think -"

Mimi cut him off quickly. "That's good enough." She really, really didn't want to know anything other than that. She turned toward where Hikari lay, Taichi by her side now, Yamato beside him. She had an idea of what Jou might've wanted to say when she saw how pale and still Hikari really was.

She was alive, that was true. If Mimi stared enough, she could see the rise and fall of her breathing. But slow, so very slow, and so pale that Mimi had to wonder if they were in time after all.

Jou hurried over to Koushirou and the two of them got to work, muttering to one another. Mimi shifted to Hikari's free side and reached down for her hand. She could hear the murmurs from the others and ignored them.

"I'm sorry, Hikari," she whispered, saying what she'd wanted to before having left in the first place. She hadn't had time then. Now it was all up to Jou and Koushirou. "If I'd recognized those thorns, you wouldn't be like this now."

Bright Rosemon rested a hand on her shoulder and Mimi smiled up at her partner, no matter how weak the smile felt to her. A heartbeat passed, and then a flash of light, and Bright Rosemon was gone, leaving Tanemon in her place. Mimi scooped her up with her free hand.

"You're going to get the very best dinner I can get my hands on when we're home," Mimi promised her. Tanemon snuggled against her.

"Can't wait," she whispered, before falling asleep.

That seemed like an amazingly good idea to Mimi herself, no matter how much she wanted to stay awake to see how the medicine turned out. She struggled to keep her eyes open, watching for the slightest sign of _anything_ from Hikari.

She didn't know if she'd fallen asleep or not, but somehow, Jou and Koushirou got there without her being aware of it. Jou held a bowl in his hands, and the mixture within it gave off an aroma that Mimi could've lived the rest of her life indulging in.

"It's ready," Koushirou said. "We need to put some of it on where the thorns hit her to draw out the poison and a little on her tongue."

Mimi nodded; that didn't make any sense to her, but she didn't know anything about medicine other than taking an aspirin when she got a headache.

Taichi moved aside so they could get to where the thorn punctures were, though he still didn't let go of his sister's hand. Mimi wouldn't have wanted to either, nor did she. They did both watch, however, as Jou and Koushirou carefully unwound the bandages from where they'd removed the thorns hours earlier, and began to spread the paste there.

The paste itself was thick and fragrant, somewhat greenish, and it stuck to Hikari's skin. Mimi hoped it wouldn't have to be there long. It smelled good, but Mimi couldn't help but wonder how it tasted, as Jou set a small dab of it on Hikari's tongue.

From the way she scrunched her face up almost right away, it probably wasn't chocolate or anything else actually good. Mimi squeezed her hand softly.

"You're going to be all right," she promised, not caring if it wasn't true, because it _was_. She wasn't going to allow it otherwise. She'd give up everything in her heart and soul if it meant that Hikari would live. She'd give up her own life if that was what it took.

Hikari didn't respond, though, her features easing back, but with a little more color in her cheeks, and her breathing much better now. Mimi sighed herself. That had to be good, didn't it?

"Is that good?" Taichi asked what was on Mimi's mind and Jou peered down at Hikari.

"I think so. It's hard to tell here, you know. We don't have what I'm used to." He sounded more as if he were apologizing for not being able to wave his hands and have Hikari well again. Taichi just grinned, a very tired grin all of his own.

"It looks good to me. You two go get some rest now. You need it." He glanced at Mimi. "And so do you. You look like you're about to fall down where you're at."

Mimi wasn't going to argue that point. Hikari was going to get better. They would talk. That was all she'd allow herself for now. She made herself as comfortable as she could get while still holding Hikari's hand, made sure Tanemon wasn't going to roll off anywhere, closed her eyes, and the world faded away.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** One more chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

**Word Count:** chapter: 1,046||story: 5,306|| **chapters:** 5/5

* * *

At first Mimi didn't recognize the pressure against her hand for what it was. She vaguely returned it, not certain if she wanted to wake up right now or not. Would waking up be a good thing? Would it be better than the dreams that filled her mind?

"Mimi..."

That voice…

Her eyes flashed open, sleep fleeing, replaced by full wakefulness, and a pair of clear, bright eyes looking at her.

Hikari wasn't exactly radiant with health, not like she'd been before this whole nasty mess got started, but she was awake and there wasn't that dreaded paleness anymore, and her hand remained strong and warm in Mimi's.

"You're all right," Mimi murmured. Everything was worth it in that moment. Nothing else mattered, just that Hikari was all right.

"I don't feel all right," Hikari replied, but it was with a hint of humor in her voice. "I'm hungry!"

"Yamato's working on something right now," Jou's voice floated over. "Don't worry, it won't be long."

A quick flick of her eyes told Mimi that Taichi still slept, or at least had his eyes closed, but he'd no more let go of Hikari's hand than Mimi herself had. She looked back to Hikari.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"A little of it. I wanted to look at those flowers, but they had thorns." She tried to move a hand, only discovering then that both of them were being held by someone else. She blinked a few times at that. "And then I was waking up here."

"They were poisoned," Mimi said, closing her eyes and shivering at the vivid memory of Hikari falling back, a long, sharp-pointed thorn buried in her arm. "I didn't know. I would've said something." She would say that as many times as she needed to, until she felt she didn't anymore.

"Hey." Hikari squeezed her hand again and Mimi looked at her. "It's all right. Everyone makes mistakes. I shouldn't have been poking at something in the Digital World I wasn't sure of, anyway."

Mimi wanted to hug her. How in any world could someone be this _pure_? It wasn't like her own Crest. Hikari was just… just _Hikari_.

She struggled to keep words from her lips that wanted to rise and fall and ask questions that were not at all ready to be asked, let alone answered. Seeing Tanemon sleeping gave her another course of conversation.

Well, somewhat. She'd have to be careful on what she said still.

"Lilymon's evolved again. She can become Bright Rosemon now." Mimi sketched out what had happened, choosing not to specify that the evolution happened because of what she'd said, how she'd bared her heart and risked it all. Hikari didn't need to know that. Maybe another day.

When Yamato brought over what he'd been cooking, he brought enough for two, nudging Taichi to wake him up at the same time.

"Come on, you need to get your own food. I don't have hands enough for everyone's dinner."

Mimi helped Hikari sit up and kept an eye on her as they started to eat. Yamato's cooking skills got better and better with time, especially where Digital World cuisine was concerned. She didn't know what to call what he'd served up tonight, other than delicious.

Thinking about food meant not thinking about what to say to Hikari. Mimi wanted to say _something_ , but the words didn't feel right at all. Hikari was getting better, but now just wasn't the right time. She wasn't sure when it would be.

"So what started the evolution?" Hikari asked, a sort of professional curiosity in the tilt of her head. Mimi looked back at her in confusion. "You know, you must've done something. You don't have to tell me, though..."

Mimi's lips parted but nothing at all came out. This wasn't the right time, this wasn't the right place, Hikari wasn't well yet, and she wasn't going to put _anything_ on her at all, let alone everything that she'd said to Rosemon!

Unfortunately, when part of one's essential character is to be true to one's self, it could be difficult to keep a few secrets.

"I told Rosemon how sorry I was for what happened to you," Mimi said, "and how much I wanted to save you, and if I had a chance… to...I don't know…"

Oh, but she knew very well, and she managed to clamp down on her lips, not out of a desire to lie, but just for Hikari's own sake, and for her own, timing was everything, and this was just _wrong_.

Hikari kept looking at her, confusion writ large upon her face, then she glanced toward Tailmon, who'd spent most of her time sitting next to her shoulder, ready to shred anyone who got too close with intent to harm. The look they shared wasn't one that Mimi could read, but Hikari must have, because she looked back at Mimi with determination in the set of her jaw.

"Once I'm on my feet again, I think I want some serious ice cream. I know this place not that far from the Ai Mart." For a moment silence hung in the air between them. "Would you like to go there with me?"

Mimi wasn't certain if this was an offer for a date or if Hikari just wanted to celebrate with her for saving her life or something else altogether. But Tanemon nudged her and once again her voice said what needed to be said.

"Sure!" She really did. This wasn't any sort of confession. This was what she wanted: a chance to get to know Hikari on another level, to work out what might be between them, and decide if they both wanted this.

Hikari's smile glowed as brilliant as the Light her Crest represented. "I guess I'd better get all the way well again soon, right?"

"Right!" Mimi started eating again, keeping a careful watch on Hikari, and trying to pretend that Sora and Miyako weren't looking at them and laughing in a gentle way that didn't get her upset. That wasn't easy, but looking at Hikari gave her something more to think about, and she wanted to think about Hikari more than anything else right now, Hikari, and the future that awaited them.

 **The End**

 **Notes:** And they all lived happily ever after! Or at least they will unless I get an idea for this timeline and decide to change that ;)


End file.
